MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Warning strikes in the public sector wage dispute have in some cases led to enormous restrictions in air and sea traffic in Germany. The airlines at Germany's second-largest airport in Munich canceled around 80 percent of the flights planned for Thursday and Friday, according to the operator.
As a result, domestic air traffic in Germany was severely affected. All flights to and from Munich were canceled in Hanover, Bremen, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Koln-Bonn, Dresden, Stuttgart and Hamburg on Thursday, as the airports reported on their websites.
The background to the warning strike is the collective bargaining round in the public sector of the federal government and local authorities. Verdi is demanding eight percent higher wages, but at least 350 euros more per month. The union is also demanding, among other things, three additional days off for employees. According to Verdi, the employers have not yet presented an offer. The third round of negotiations is scheduled for March 14 to 16 in Potsdam.
Effects in Munich even before the start of the warning strike
In Munich, the first cancellations had already occurred before the start of the warning strike on Wednesday evening. Around 830 take-offs and landings were planned for both Thursday and Friday. In absolute figures, canceling 80 percent of flights means that over 1,300 aircraft are not expected to take off or land as planned on both days. However, this figure could still increase: "Further cancellations cannot be ruled out," wrote the airport company.
The warning strike is due to end at midnight on Friday. This Saturday is the first day of the Bavarian carnival vacation. Lufthansa intends to contact the affected passengers and is offering free rebooking or cancelation.
Airport association criticizes extent of warning strikes
According to the German Airports Association ADV (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Verkehrsflughäfen), almost 300,000 passengers will not be able to travel this week due to the warning strikes. "Two-day strikes that cut off German metropolitan regions from international air traffic no longer have anything to do with warning strikes," said ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel.
The airlines are not even involved in the current collective bargaining round in the public sector, but are now being affected. Verdi has called on airport employees working in public services and ground handling services to strike.
Warning strike stops container ships in the port of Hamburg
In Hamburg, the strike meant that not much could be done, especially in the port. All ships that are only allowed to sail through the port with a pilot on board have been unable to leave or call at Hamburg since Wednesday evening, a spokesperson for the Hamburg Port Authority told the German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The background to this was that the so-called pilot transfer service had also responded to the Verdi trade union's call for a warning strike. Without this, the pilots cannot board the ships.
The Port of Hamburg Business Association criticized the repeated warning strike. "Even if strike action is a constitutionally protected fundamental right, the repeated work stoppages are not a good advertisement and damage the image of the Port of Hamburg. We therefore appeal to Verdi to exercise a sense of proportion and not to impair the port's ability to function," a spokeswoman told dpa.
The strike in the port is to continue until 6.00 a.m. on Friday morning. A Verdi spokesperson said that employees at the port would then resume their normal duties.
Due to the Verdi warning strike, ferries operated by the city's ferry line operator Hadag will also not be running on the Elbe. In Hamburg, employees of the airport, city cleaning services, municipal authorities, theaters and the Federal Employment Agency also went on strike.
At Hamburg Airport, flight operations were maintained despite the strike by some employees - apart from the cancellation of flights to Munich, according to an airport spokeswoman. This will also be the case again on Friday./cho/DP/nas
